Advocacy & Safety - "On your left!" - in Russian??

Here in the Pacific NW, we have many Russian immigrants who share our trails. As I was riding with the family yesterday I came up behind a large group of walkers and it led me to wonder: How do you say "On your left, please!" in other languages.

Can anybody help?

- Spasiba (Thank you)

drop a PM to Max- he's from Russia, and he can give you the Russian translation.

Koffee

Can you tell they are Russian just by looking at them? Just curious.

In this case, yes. The classic Babushka with the head-scarf and everything.

I try to be as multi-lingual as I can - even so far as to keep up on MTB lingo ;)

I would think that if you came riding up from behind yelling, they'd turn and look and get out of the way regardless. Do you usually give a yell or say on your left as you're coming up from behind anyway?

I'm a little rusty but I think these are right:

"Na leva" -- to the left
"Na prava" -- to the right
"Ostarozhna!" -- caution! (look out!)

Normally I slow down to a little faster than a walk and say "On your left" and wait for a response before passing them. This is on a pedestrian/bicycle path and I don't normally go faster than 10-15 mph in that situation. I just thought it would be more fun if I could be polite in more than just English!


Originally posted by Koffee Brown
I would think that if you came riding up from behind yelling, they'd turn and look and get out of the way regardless. Do you usually give a yell or say on your left as you're coming up from behind anyway?

Oh, you want to be polite? :)

"Izventiye, pazhalyusta!" -- Excuse me, please!

What, you mean "Aupa, Aupa, Aupa" isn't universal??? :D :D

Jay

In German, it's...

"BAHN FREI!"

<g>

multilingually yours,
Tom

This is such a cool thread that I hate to give a practical answer, which would be to use a bell.

I just love the way this country consists of so many nationalities. What a great opportunity to bridge gaps.

Though it won't help for coming from behind, a smile is a universally understood language.

:D

Just be careful about using common American hand signals when communicating to "foreigners." The results can be disasterous. My Mom once used the "ok" sign overseas (sort of making the letter "O" with your fingers.)

The poor person thought Mom was calling him an a$$hole. I'm sure someone straightened him out later, but it was embarrassing.

DUH! <HEADSLAP> A Bell!


Originally posted by Pete Clark
This is such a cool thread that I hate to give a practical answer, which would be to use a bell.

In Germany and Austria the also say loudly: "Danke!" - "Thank you!"

Or "Vorsicht!" - Caution!

In Russian there is no exact translation for the "On your left!". There are some phrases, however, which will do (Character Coding - Cyrillic Windows-1251):

1) Осторожно! (Oh-sto-roh'-zhno!) - Caution!

2) Извините пожалуйста! - "Izventiye, pazhalyusta!" -- Excuse me, please!

3) Обгоняю слева! (Ob-go-nya'-yu sle-va'!) - On your left!

4) Спасибо! (Spa-si'-bo!) - Thank you!

Before using the phrases, I would advise to listen how the native speaker pronounces them. Because if the pronunciation is wrong, they will not get what you are trying to say.

I second the bell. Or, if you really want to make the peds jump, a bulb-squeeze horn, about $3.50 in your local bike shop.

Originally posted by caloso
"Na leva" -- to the left

Wouldn't use that, for it may also sound like an invitation to 'go to the left'.

Max's 'obgoniaiu sleva' is more accurate. But perhaps a little elaborate. And in my experience, more often than not, (older) people tend to react unexpectedly even to the clearest of warnings.

Personally, I use a Santa warning: 'ho, ho, ho', while feathering the brakes. I have to admit that my imitation of a twenties car horn is on the spot. But it takes a lot of oxygen and doesn't do much to clear the road.

I used to use the horn, but then changed it back to the classical bike bell.

People, jump from the horn, thinking it's a truck behind. But the bike bell tells clearly that the bike is behind.

The linguistic knowledge did not harm anyone.

Seeing that you took time to learn some of their lingo makes people think about you better.

Originally posted by Bruco

Max's 'obgoniaiu sleva' is more accurate. But perhaps a little elaborate.

I usually say also - Обгон слева! (Obgon sleva!). Or - Ostorozhno (caution)! And then - Izvinite (excuse me).

But if you are "lucky" and got a really dumb babushka, then nothing will help. Some of them may have intelligence equal to the 5 years child. Watch out for the sudden sideways drift then.

Just say "Free vodka on the right!!"

Lets add a latin american flare to this thread:

En la izquierda: on the left
En la derecha: on the right
Muevense, idiota!: Move, idiot!

Originally posted by Dave Stohler
Just say "Free vodka on the right!!"

Don't do this. Never say - "free vodka" in Russian. They may start to follow you.

I do not even want to write how to say it.

"Vodka na sharu!"

Holy Necroposting!

3) Обгоняю слева! (Ob-go-nya'-yu sle-va'!) - On your left!
The literal translation is: "[I am] passing you from the left" (the "I am" is implied by the ending in Обгоняю).

The Necromancer strikes again

Here in the Pacific NW, we have many Russian immigrants who share our trails. As I was riding with the family yesterday I came up behind a large group of walkers and it led me to wonder: How do you say "On your left, please!" in other languages.

Can anybody help?

- Spasiba (Thank you)

While were at it, I live in a Jewish neighbourhood how about Hebrew?

The Necromancer strikes again
Yeah, but this is a common question. No harm in reviving it before it slips back into the archives.

As to the main point, ring a bell, and go slow enough that you won't hit them if they move in the wrong direction.